a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Andrei Kirilenko on John Stockton, Karl Malone, Rookie Hazing/Jarron Collins, and a UDQM

**On his favorite memories with the Jazz: I have a lot of great memories. You know, there is, there’s not one memory which is you remember [more than others]. I will definitely remember whole run. Ten years with Jerry Sloan, Karl Malone, John Stockton, it has been a lot of great, great times which is, it’s a lot of experience first of all.

When I came to the league as a young boy, which is doesn’t know anything, doesn’t know what to expect, and you start playing with guys like Stockton and Malone, being coached by living legend, those guys, and you pick it up from them.

Then…they leaving, you start playing that main role. Then you got guys like Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, that point, you know, we had a great run. We made conference final. And you know, those moments you always remember. We have a great chemistry.

** On Stockton and Malone’s leadership styles: Karl always been a vocal leader. He always been heard, he always been tell everyone what to do, you know. He always been fighting with the coach, I mean, not fighting but like trying to explain coach how it’s supposed to be done. Trying to, he was always trying to bring all the players his point of view.

And other hand of John Stockton, he always been a quiet leader. I never heard him saying something, something you know, out loud. He always been very quiet, but with his example, he always been showing how it’s supposed to be done. He always been busting his nuts on the floor.* He always been coming to the practice, at 40 years old he’s been the guy who fighting on the floor and you know, jumping for every ball. It’s unbelievable.

* Quote of the day.

**On Alexey Shved and rookie hazing: Oh, he gonna make some donuts. He gonna bring donuts. He gonna do some stuff. I’ll make sure. You know, when I was a rookie, I had some problems because of my English. So I understand really what people saying, so everytime they ask me to bring donuts, I say, “What? What?” And finally, somebody say, “OK, Jarron Collins, come over here. You gonna bring donuts.” So right now, you know, Alex doesn’t have a chance. Every time he said, “I don’t understand” — then, “Andrei, tell him.” (MNWolves on Youtube)

**Unintentional Dirty Quote Machine — AK on Kevin Love: Kevin’s still on that way. I think he can be at the top, and if he gonna just keep growing, and we gonna try to help him.